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Twelve
Local Stores and Attractions Create
“ChattaNEWga” Pin Collecting Craze
for Tourists and Locals
Collecting
enamel pins is a long-time European fad and has become a mania
in America since the early 1990’s. There are entire
web sites dedicated to the collecting of Hard Rock Café,
Disney and Olympic sports pins with some pins selling for
upwards of $700 or more, depending upon their origin and availability.
Now Chattanooga has joined the craze and will have its own
series of 20 collectible pins. These pins represent attractions
and stores throughout the Chattanooga area and Lookout Mountain.
The
Chattanooga collectible pins can be purchased for $2 each
at the Tennessee Aquarium, Creative Discovery Museum, Hunter
Museum of American Art, Bluff View Art District, Southern
Belle Riverboat, Chattanooga Regional History Museum, Rock
City, The Incline Railway, Ruby Falls, Battles for Chattanooga,
Smoothie King and Big River Grille. Each location will sell
only its own pin.
The five
collectable Tennessee Aquarium pins represent their signature
animals: shark, butterfly, macaw, otter and turtle. The five
Creative Discovery Museum pins represent signature exhibits
or events: the Rooftop Fun Factory, RiverPlay, Lookout Tower,
the 10th Birthday Party on May 28, and a collage of museum
images. The Ruby Falls pin celebrates their 75th anniversary.
The
pins make great souvenirs because friends and family can see
all that Chattanooga has to offer. To add to the collectible
value, lanyards with ChattaNEWga tags are being sold to tie
into the 2005 Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau advertising
campaign.
Charles
Products created the pins and their designers took most of
the attractions’ ideas and made them beautiful. Charles
products produced all of the designs for the Aquarium, the
Regional History Museum, the Southern Belle Riverboat, the
Bluff View Art District and the Lookout Tower for the Creative
Discovery Museum. Kraemer and Associates (RiverPlay), Souvenirs
Inc. (patchwork), and local artist Alex Tucker (Rooftop Fun
Factory and 10th Birthday) created the rest of the Creative
Discovery Museum’s designs. Local artist Denise Starbird
created the Big River Grill design and local ad agency Miller
Reid created the Ruby Falls artwork. Randall Stout Associates
designed the Hunter Museum pin and Rock City designed their
own pin.
Charles
Products, Inc. is a wholesaler of custom gifts and souvenirs.
For over 50 years, they have provided creative designs and
original products to zoos, aquariums, historic sites, science
museums and theme parks. The company is a major gift shop
supplier to national attractions including the San Diego Zoo,
Mount Vernon, and The National Museum of History. They formerly
produced some of the Disney collectible pins (Disney now produces
all of its pins in-house).
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Creative
Discovery Museum is a private, non-profit organization dedicated
to the enrichment of children through interactive, hands-on
experiences that foster creative and critical thinking. Memorial
Day through Labor Day, the Museum is open every day of the
week, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. September through February, it is
closed Wednesdays; open Sundays noon to 5 p.m.; and open 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. all other days and on national holidays. March
through May, the Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through
Saturday and open Sunday noon to 5 p.m. The Museum is closed
Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Ticket
prices are $7.95 for adults and $6.95 for children ages 2
to 12. The last ticket is sold one hour prior to closing.
Family memberships are $60 for a full year of unlimited visits.
Call 423-756-2738 for more information.
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